Download RE37 - European Parliament

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
1999
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2004
Session document
27 September 2001
B5-0607/2001
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
further to the Council and Commission statements
pursuant to Rule 37(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Alima Boumediene-Thiery, Patsy Sörensen, Jean Lambert, Kathalijne Maria
Buitenweg and Elisabeth Schroedter
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
on the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia
and Related Intolerance
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B5-0607/2001
European Parliament resolution on the World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the declaration adopted on 8 September 2001 at the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance,
– having regard to its resolutions of 16 May 2001 and 21 September 2001 on the World
Conference against Racism,
– having regard to its resolutions of 16 March 2000 on racism and xenophobia in the Union,
– having regard to Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union,
– having regard to the reports of its Committees of Inquiry into Racism and Xenophobia in
Europe,
A. whereas racism and xenophobia represent a major problem in the world, and particularly
in Europe,
B. whereas in society groups of individuals such as ethnic and religious minorities,
immigrants, refugees and women are particularly affected in their lives by racism,
xenophobia and intolerance and are victims of racist acts and attacks,
C. whereas one of the roots of racism lies in the colonial histories of the Member States, and
whereas the European Union therefore bears a particular responsibility in combating this
problem,
D. having regard to the legitimate wish of the African countries to have the slave trade
recognised as a crime against humanity and their consequent calls for apologies and
reparations from the Western countries which benefited from this trade,
E. whereas the Holocaust was a tragic episode in recent European history and forms part of
our collective memory,
F. whereas Europe is today a witness to ethnic and religious conflicts in the Balkans which
have taken the form of genocide, and from which a new definition of racist acts - ‘ethnic
cleansing’ - has emerged,
G. whereas social and political institutions play an important role in fighting racism,
xenophobia and intolerance,
H. whereas racism and xenophobia form the political foundation of certain political parties in
Europe such as the Front National in France, the FPÖ in Austria, the Vlaams Blok in
Belgium and the Lega Nord in Italy, and whereas these parties thus contribute directly to
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reinforcing racism in Europe,
I. whereas equal rights and individual freedoms form the basis of a democratic society, and
all individuals, whatever ethnic, religious or social group they belong to, and of whatever
sex, sexual orientation or age, are entitled to equal treatment,
J. acknowledging that the debate’s concentration on the Middle East and the slave trade is
evidence of the great importance attached to these two subjects by many of the
delegations meeting in Durban, but regretting that as a result other important questions
such as the situation of refugees, asylum seekers, migrant workers, women and lower
castes, which are part of racial discrimination, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance in the
world, did not receive the attention they deserve,
K. welcoming the fact that the Durban conference was the first UN world conference against
racism which ended in a compromise enabling a declaration and an action programme to
be adopted,
1. Welcomes the final declaration and the action programme in which the signatory States
undertake to combat racism in everyday life in all its forms by reinforcing existing
legislation and adopting new laws;
2. Calls on the Member States of the Union to follow up these decisions and to take their
responsibilities seriously with a view to putting an end to racism, xenophobia and
intolerance in the world;
3. Regrets that the United States and Israel withdrew early from the conference;
4. Reaffirms its conviction that political will is the main requirement in the fight against
racism, xenophobia and intolerance, and condemns political parties and States that use
racism, apartheid or other contemporary forms of racial discrimination as instruments of
their policies;
5. Calls on the Member States to guarantee equal rights for all citizens living in Europe,
whatever their nationality, including minorities, immigrants and refugees;
6. Calls on the Commission to consider the measures against racism as a principal aspect of
the Union’s enlargement policy;
7. Calls on the signatories of the action programme to demonstrate their commitment
through practical measures, including a public campaign against racism, to be
incorporated into school curricula and propagated through the media;
8. Calls on the Member States to assume the responsibilities deriving from their colonial
history, which is one of the causes of the current state of underdevelopment, famine,
conflict and democratic deficit which many third-world countries face;
9. Welcomes the recognition of the slave trade as a crime against humanity, notes the deep
regret expressed by the European Union for the human suffering caused by slavery, the
slave trade, colonialism and genocide, and takes the view that there can be no crime of
this scale which does not call for reparation;
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10. Appeals to the Governments of the European Union and the United States to initiate a
dialogue with the victims of the slave trade with a view to finding a solution to the
complex, unresolved problem of reparation for the damage done;
11. Calls for the setting up of an international commission with the task of studying
appropriate forms of reparation for the victims of slavery, looking into all the problems
involved, including their social and economic marginalisation;
12. Takes the view that increased development aid and cancellation of the developing
countries’ debt are a sine qua non if the effects of the marginalisation brought about by
globalisation are to be redressed, and that they should not, and can in no circumstances, be
seen as reparation for slavery and colonialism;
13. Stresses the Conference’s conclusions on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to
self-determination and the creation of an independent State, and the right to security of all
States in the region, including Israel;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the
Governments of the Member States and applicant countries, and the Government of the
United States.
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